My Brother is an Only Child

My Brother is an Only Child presented a new relationship for us to analyze in comparison to the other Italian films we have watched thus far. Rather than a father and son film, we watched the story of two brothers. There are similarities of the brother and brother relationship to that of previous father and son relationships because Manrico as the older brother often takes on a fatherly role to Accio by telling him what to do and what to believe. Accio reacts with anger often like a disobedient child. However, the brother and brother relationship differs from previous father and son relationships in that both brothers are constantly competing –in political ideology and in relationships- presenting a new layer to the dynamic. The way the two brothers’ characters evolve by the end of the film appears to parallel the brothers characters at the beginning of the film. Accio is now seen as the more levelheaded and charismatic brother in comparison to his original violent and outspoken character at the beginning. In contrast, Manrico is now the political fugitive in comparison to his original charismatic character. After watching this movie, I can’t help but question the brothers’ relationships with their sister. Violetta is not necessarily a central character and her relationship with her brothers is not explored much throughout the film. What do you think Violetta’s character does to progress the plot of the film or was she not an essential character?